Monday May 2, 2011

Washington, D.C. - Mayor Vincent C. Gray selected the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) as a Partner of the Year for the 2011 Mayor's Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards recognize organizations for their commitment to advancing sustainable principles in building design and operations.

"Mayor Gray and the District Department of the Environment are leading an aggressive effort to make Washington one of the most sustainable cities in the world," said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville. "We're proud to be a part and extremely honored by this recognition."

The award recognizes ASLA's work in educating the public on sustainable practices in landscape design and construction. Several program highlights include: • ASLA's Green Roof Demonstration Project, which the public can tour for free to learn more about green roofs; • The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), a partnership between ASLA, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Botanic Garden to create a new rating system for sustainable landscapes. Eleven projects in the Washington area are participating in the program; • Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes, a new educational resource that features animations, case studies and classroom activities to introduce students to green landscape design.